Universal floor-box for the distribution of electric wires.



No. 760,326. PATEN'I'ED MA Y1'7, 1904. J. FOUNTAIN, JR. UNIVERSAL FLOORBOX FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC WIRES.

APPLIUATION PILED DEO. 16. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

//V VE N TOR w gm fi Jam 4 fir A TTOHNEY UNITED STATES Patented May 17, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

UNIVERSAL FLOOR-BOX FOR THEDISTRIBUTION 0F ELECTRIC WIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,326, dated May 17, 1904. i

Ap li ation fil d December 16,1902. Serial No. 135.376. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OI-IN FOUNTAIN, J r., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Elizabeth, county of Union, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Universal Floor-Boxes for the Distribution of Electric Wires; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved universal floor-box to receive electric conduits and wires at the point at which they are brought into compartments of buildings on the floorlevel; This floor-box is especially designed to receive any kind of a commercial receptacle on the marketsuch as, for instance, electriclight fixtures, switch, fuseblock, socket, or the like. All floor-boxes on the market to-day are designed to receive some special fitting adapted to be used in connection with the particular box.

The floor-box is herein shown as embedded in a floor of a building, and it may be adapted for use in other locations-as, for instance, in the ceiling or wallof a room.

The object of my invention is to provide a universal floor-box of this character which will be perfectly water-tight, and which may be adjusted readily and accurately to any con struction or character of floor or wall, and which is readily accessible to permit renewal and repair of the socket or fuse-plug or any other receptacle which may be contained in the floor-box. V

Another object of my invention is to provide a floor-box having square surfaces in which pipe connections may be suitably se cured.

Another object of this invention lies in the cover of the box, which is intercl'langeable and so constructed and designed as to receive either a supplemental cap flush with the cover or a nozzle projecting above the said cover, both of which havescrew-threaded engage ment with the cover and when screwed in place have interposed between them and the cover a rubber gasket which serves the purpose of making a water-tight connection.

As shown in the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through the floor and floor-box made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of my improved floorbox. Fig. A is a plan view of the floorbox with the cover removed. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the cover of my improved floor-box, showing the supplemental cap and plug in engagement with the same; and Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the nozzle to be used in connection with the cover of my improved floor-box.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts. i

Referring to the drawings, (t represents the body of a floor-box, the shape of which may be cylindrical, oval, angular, or otherwise and which may be made of any suitable material, preferably cast-iron. The body of the floor-box a has cast integral therewith an annular flange (Z, which is provided with a screwthreaded top to receive the adjustable cover (2, pereinafter described.

6 designates pipes constituting conduits which lead into the sides of the floor-box above the bottom thereof and" through which the conductors are carried to said box, where they are connected to the socket, electric-light fixture, switch, or the like (not shown) in the usual well-known manner.

It will be noticed that the body of the floorbox a below the angular screw-threadedflange (Z is square in cross-section, with rounded corners, and below the square part it is made octagonal, so as to afliord good square surfaces for drilling and tapping, in which pipe con nections may be suitably made. The angu lar flange (Z of the floor-box a on the inside is provided with recesses 7', in which a switch or fuse-plug or similar receptacle may be fastened. Any two oi the sides of the lower part of the box, which form a ledge and are designated by the letter a, may be utilized to support a bridge, to which an electric-light fixture or the like (not shown) may be secured.

0 designates a cover for the floor-box,which has adjustable and water tight connection with the upper end of said box, the inner circumferential wall of which is screw-threaded and adapted to engage with the threaded flange (Z of the body of the box a, thereby enabling the cover to be raised or lowered relatively to the body of the box. The cover 0 is provided with a screw-threaded recessl in its upper face to receive the supplemental cap hereinafter described, and the bottom of said recess has an opening m to afford access to the interior of the box. In this manner an annular seat is provided to receive and support the gasket, and thereby render the cover water-tight when the supplemental cap or the nozzle is screwed into place. The floor e is cut away round the opening which receives the body of the floor-box, so as to permit the cover 0 to be screwed down so as to bring the upper surface of said cover level with the floor.

f represents a supplemental cap flush with the top of the cover 0 and having screwthreaded engagement with the same and provided with a centrally-disposed orifice closed by the plug g. The rubber gasket it is interposed between the supplemental cap f and the cover 0 to make a water-tight joint at such point. The supplemental cap f is provided with recesses m for engagement therewith of a spanner-wrench, by which said cap may be screwed into and out of place.

2' represents a nozzle having screw-threaded engagement with the cover 0 and provided at its upper end with an insulatingbush I: for the passage of the conductors. (Not shown.) The nozzle 2' is provided with a hexagonal head Z for engagement therewith of a suitable implement, such as a wrench, by which said 'nozzle may be turned into and out of place.

When this floor-box of mine is to be used for holding a switch, fuseplug, or similar article, which when placed in position in the box would necessarily project above the level of the cover 0, the supplemental cap f is removed and the nozzle 71 is substituted.

I am aware that changes may be made in the various arrangements and combinations of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention. Hence I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangement and combination of the parts as described, nor do I confine myself to the exact shape and figuration of the box.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A floor-box provided with a box-body having an externally-screw-threaded flange at its upper edge, and a recess in said flange, said recess opening into the box-body.

2. A floor-box provided with a polygonal box-body having an annular outwardly-projecting flange at its upper edge, and a series of recesses in said flange, said recesses opening into the box-body.

3. A floor-box provided with a polygonal box-body having an annular flange at its upper edge and a series of recesses in said flange, said recesses opening into-the box-body.

4. A floor-box provided with a polygonal box-body having openings in the lateral faces thereof, an annular screw-threaded flange at the upper edge of said body, and recesses in the said flange, said recesses opening into the box-body.

5. A floor-box provided with a box-body having a flange at its upper edge and a series of recesses in said flange, said recesses opening into the box-body.

6. A floor-box provided with a box-body having an extern all y-screw-th readed flange at its upper edge, a recess in said flange, said recess opening into the box-body, a cover having screw threaded engagement with the screw-threaded flange of the box-body, said cover having a recess in its upper side and an opening through the bottom of said recess.

7. A floor-box provided with a polygonal box-body having an annular outwardly-projecting screw-threaded flange at its upper edge, a series of recesses in said flange, said recesses opening into the box-body, a cover provided with a screw-threaded flange at its periphery, engaging the box-body flange, a recess in the outer side of said cover, and an opening through the bottom of said recess.

8. A floor-box provided with a polygonal box-body having an annular screw-threaded flange at its upper edge, a series of recesses in said flange, said recesses opening into the box-body, a cover provided with a screw threaded flange at its periphery engaging the box-body flange, a recess in the upper side of said cover, and a cap secured in said recess.

9. A floor-box provided with a polygonal box-body having openings in the lateral faces thereof, an annular screw-threaded and re cessed flange at the upper edge of said body, the recesses in said flange opening into the box body, a cover provided with a screw-threaded flange engaging said recessed flange, a recess 

